When exactly is the 11+ exam for Birmingham and West Midlands grammar schools?

For Birmingham's King Edward's Foundation schools and most West Midlands grammar schools, the 11+ entry assessment is held in September or October of Year 6 — typically just a few weeks into the new school year. This means the preparation window for Year 6 is essentially the summer term of Year 5 through to the summer holidays before Year 6 begins. Families who do not start focused preparation until September of Year 6 have almost no time before the exam.

My child is already in Year 6 — is it too late to start 11+ tuition in Smethwick?

If the exam is in September and it is currently spring or early summer of Year 5/start of Year 6, there is still useful preparation time. We can run intensive sessions focused on the highest-priority areas — typically Maths problem-solving and the specific reasoning question types the target school uses. It will be harder than if preparation had started earlier, but meaningful progress is possible with focused, consistent work.

How should we balance 11+ preparation and SATs in Year 6?

The 11+ exam in September comes before SATs in May — so the immediate focus in September of Year 6 is the grammar school entry assessment. After that, we pivot to SATs preparation, which for many children consolidates the same skills (arithmetic, comprehension, written accuracy) that the 11+ has already developed. The two are more complementary than competing, and Serena and Kevin Johal plan both into a single integrated programme.

Year 6 11+ Tuition in Smethwick

What Year 6 11+ preparation should really do

Year 6 11+ support has to become sharper and calmer at the same time. The focus is no longer broad exploration; it is timed performance, mock feedback and the exact weaknesses still costing marks.

What Year 6 11+ preparation should include

Turning mock results into a short priority list for the next few weeks
Building exam timing without making every lesson feel like a test
Reviewing reading, maths and reasoning errors separately so fixes are precise
Keeping confidence stable as the real exam approaches

When this route is the right fit

This route suits families close to the exam who need focused 11+ correction rather than more general practice.

How this guide helps you choose

This guide is built around families actively comparing Year 6 11+ preparation rather than browsing a general tuition article. The related links point toward the most relevant next route so the page acts as a useful decision point, not just a generic directory page.

Mid-July 2026 update for Year 6 11+ preparation

Mid-July 2026 is a practical 11+ checkpoint for Year 6 11+ preparation: West Midlands Grammar Schools registration for September 2027 entry has now closed, so families should use the waiting period before allocated test-centre information arrives in September to balance GL-style paper practice, section repair and confidence. The strongest holiday plan uses feedback carefully without overtesting the child.

Balance English comprehension, verbal reasoning, maths and non-verbal or spatial reasoning so one confident area does not hide a weaker one.
Use a small number of timed tasks to practise pace, then spend more time reviewing the mistakes.
Check answer-sheet habits and section timing as well as subject knowledge.
Keep the plan light enough to protect the holiday feel, but specific enough that September does not become a cold restart.

Search intent this page is built for

This page is written for families searching for Year 6 11+ preparation. It also helps when the search starts with related wording such as Year 6 11+ preparation near me, Year 6 11+ preparation Smethwick, tutors in Smethwick, tuition near me, because the useful next step is the same: identify the right stage, subject and lesson format before booking.

The page is designed to answer the search quickly, then move the family toward a clearer subject, year-group or exam-stage decision.

Next Step

Call 07909 274901 or book a free trial lesson to discuss the best starting point for your child's next term.